Monthly Archives: October 2012

Court Simplification Working Paper from SRLN

The Self-Represented Litigation Network has completed its Working Paper titled Towards Simplification. The document, more a road-map than a proposal, outlines seven principles for simplification, six approaches, four barriers and political issues, and nine possible strategies.  The document is here.  … Continue reading

Posted in Simplification, Systematic Change | 2 Comments

Learning About Our Guest Blogger Claudia Johnson

Many of you have read posts on this blog from Claudia Johnson.  Most of us did not know where here passion for access, and indeed the breadth of her vision, came from.  As she tells us in a recent post … Continue reading

Posted in Pro Bono | Comments Off on Learning About Our Guest Blogger Claudia Johnson

Counting Pro Bono — A New Question From the UK

This should get us thinking. An article in the UK Law Society Gazette, Pro bono – minding the gap, as commented on by the excellent Richard Moorehead here, suggests that the current systems of counting pro bono are inadequate. One … Continue reading

Posted in Pro Bono, Research and Evalation | Comments Off on Counting Pro Bono — A New Question From the UK

Self-Represented Litigation Network Plans Equal Justice Conference Pre-Conference

Once again this coming year, the Self-Represented Litigation Network will be hosting a pre-conference in association with the NLADA/ABA Equal Justice Conference.  The pre-conference will be May 8, 2013, and the main conference will be May 9-11.  As usual, there … Continue reading

Posted in Meetings, Self-Help Services | 5 Comments

Using Prizes to Engage the Tech Community — A Model for Us

The Federal Trade Commission is using the lure of a $50,000 prize to incentivise new ideas to deal with robocall problem. Best of all, the agency is making data available to help people think about the problem: As part of … Continue reading

Posted in Research and Evalation, Science | Comments Off on Using Prizes to Engage the Tech Community — A Model for Us

What Happens When a Federal Court Pays Attention to the Self-Represented — the Central District of California Bankruptcy Court Is A Model for Us All

The Central District of California Bankruptcy Court has released its report on the self-represented. Self-represented, or pro se, litigants comprise over one quarter of the debtors filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. In early … Continue reading

Posted in Bankruptcy, E-filing, Federal Courts, Self-Help Services | 2 Comments

Lawyer Referral Services Are the Key Gateway to Unbundled Services and Calfornia Leads the Way

It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of lawyer referral services (LRS) in opening up unbundling to the millions for whom it is the key to access to justice, and the tens or hundreds of thousands of lawyers who might … Continue reading

Posted in Unbundling | Tagged | 4 Comments

Non-Lawyer Practice — Moving the New York Discussion Forward

I blogged recently about testimony at the New York Access to Justice hearings about the potential of non-lawyer practice. I am now able to post the actual testimony that was briefly referenced in the Reuters story. Professor Gillian Hadfield of … Continue reading

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Legal Ethics, Pro Bono, Self-Help Services | 5 Comments

American Judges Association Adopts White Paper on Implications of Science for Judging

This White Paper, MINDING THE COURT, should be read by all judges and those who appear in front of, or talk to (professionally or personally), judges. It focuses on the lessons of recent neuroscience and their implications for fair and … Continue reading

Posted in Judicial Ethics, Science | Comments Off on American Judges Association Adopts White Paper on Implications of Science for Judging

An International Perspective on Access to Justice Strategies

A 22,000 Mile High View of Access to Justice. In the US, we like to think of access to justice innovators as broad overview thinkers.  But, from Hiil in the Netherlands, comes a reminder that we too are grounded in … Continue reading

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Advocacy at New York Hearing for Non-Lawyer Access Innovations

This may be a straw in the wind. Reuters, in their report of the second of this year’s New York State hearings on Access to Justice included the following: But money alone will not solve the problem, according to testimony … Continue reading

Posted in Legal Ethics, Self-Help Services | 5 Comments

Child Support Agencies’ Interest in Access to Justice

Last week I attended the Western Interstate Child Support Enforcement Council Conference in Jackson Hole Wyoming.  I was part of a session on the implications of Turner v. Rogers. I talked to people from many states (Wyoming, California, and Colorado … Continue reading

Posted in Funding, Self-Help Services | 2 Comments

Law and Internet Conference to Stream Two Transformative Speakers Monday and Tuesday Morning This Week.

The Law Via the Internet Conference, being held at Cornell Law School this year this week will feature two important Speakers.  The Conference is being hosted by the Legal Information Institute, which all readers of this blog should know and … Continue reading

Posted in Meetings, Technology | Comments Off on Law and Internet Conference to Stream Two Transformative Speakers Monday and Tuesday Morning This Week.

Branding Right to Counsel

I am, with his permission, sharing something that John Pollock, of the Civil Right to Counsel Coalition, found out and shared on the group’s list. He points out that there has been debate about whether to talk about “civil Gideon” … Continue reading

Posted in Access to Counsel | Comments Off on Branding Right to Counsel

LSC Pro Bono Task Force Report Now Out

It’s out and here. It was well worth waiting for, with many recommendations that go way beyond the traditional formulaic praise of pro bono to engage what needs to be done. I thought it might be worthwhile to highlight and … Continue reading

Posted in LSC, Pro Bono | Comments Off on LSC Pro Bono Task Force Report Now Out